Phrenic Nerve Cryotherapy for Preventing Prolonged Air Leak During VATS Lobectomy

Background and objective Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy is the primary surgical treatment for lung cancer. A significant factor affecting postoperative recovery is prolonged air leak (PAL). Despite numerous clinical strategies could prevent and manage postoperative PAL, its in...

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Main Authors: Qingyu MENG, Yongkun WU, Yufei WANG, Zhanlin GUO
Format: Article
Language:zho
Published: Chinese Anti-Cancer Association; Chinese Antituberculosis Association 2025-06-01
Series:Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer
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Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.3779/j.issn.1009-3419.2025.102.23
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author Qingyu MENG
Yongkun WU
Yufei WANG
Zhanlin GUO
author_facet Qingyu MENG
Yongkun WU
Yufei WANG
Zhanlin GUO
author_sort Qingyu MENG
collection DOAJ
description Background and objective Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy is the primary surgical treatment for lung cancer. A significant factor affecting postoperative recovery is prolonged air leak (PAL). Despite numerous clinical strategies could prevent and manage postoperative PAL, its incidence remains high. Phrenic nerve cryotherapy (PNC) temporarily inhibits phrenic nerve function, causing diaphragm elevation, which reduces thoracic cavity volume, enhances pleural apposition, and mitigates air leakage. This study investigates the efficacy of PNC in preventing postoperative PAL during VATS lobectomy. Methods A total of 108 eligible lung cancer patients who underwent surgery at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, from June 2023 to January 2025, were enrolled and randomly assigned to the control group (n=54) and the experimental group (n=54). The patients in both the two groups received VATS lobectomy and systematic lymph node dissection, with the experimental group also undergoing PNC during the operation. The baseline characteristics, intraoperative, postoperative indicators and dynamic changes in air leakage between the two groups were compared. Results The baseline clinical characteristics were comparable between the two groups (P>0.05). The incidence of pulmonary air leakage at 24 h after surgery (31.5% vs 29.6%) and the incidence of postoperative PAL (20.4% vs 14.8%) showed no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). The intraoperative air leak test to 24 hours after surgery revealed that air leakage ceased in 8 cases (32.0%) in the control group, compared to 14 cases (46.7%) in the experimental group. Moreover, during the progression from air leakage at 24 hours post-surgery to postoperative PAL, air leakage ceased in 6 cases (35.3%) in the control group and 8 cases (50.0%) in the experimental group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.001). Compared to the control group, the patients in the experimental group exhibited more pronounced postoperative diaphragmatic elevation that recovered to a slightly higher than preoperative level by 3 mon after surgery. Conclusion The combination of PNC and active lung repair can serve as an important intervention for patients at high risk of intraoperative air leakage, reducing the occurrence of postoperative PAL.
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spelling doaj-art-b74df658978342b1b21bfb74775f204b2025-08-20T03:49:49ZzhoChinese Anti-Cancer Association; Chinese Antituberculosis AssociationChinese Journal of Lung Cancer1009-34191999-61872025-06-0128640541410.3779/j.issn.1009-3419.2025.102.23Phrenic Nerve Cryotherapy for Preventing Prolonged Air Leak During VATS LobectomyQingyu MENG0Yongkun WU1Yufei WANG2Zhanlin GUO3The First Clinical Medical College, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010059, ChinaDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010050, ChinaDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010050, ChinaDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010050, ChinaBackground and objective Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy is the primary surgical treatment for lung cancer. A significant factor affecting postoperative recovery is prolonged air leak (PAL). Despite numerous clinical strategies could prevent and manage postoperative PAL, its incidence remains high. Phrenic nerve cryotherapy (PNC) temporarily inhibits phrenic nerve function, causing diaphragm elevation, which reduces thoracic cavity volume, enhances pleural apposition, and mitigates air leakage. This study investigates the efficacy of PNC in preventing postoperative PAL during VATS lobectomy. Methods A total of 108 eligible lung cancer patients who underwent surgery at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, from June 2023 to January 2025, were enrolled and randomly assigned to the control group (n=54) and the experimental group (n=54). The patients in both the two groups received VATS lobectomy and systematic lymph node dissection, with the experimental group also undergoing PNC during the operation. The baseline characteristics, intraoperative, postoperative indicators and dynamic changes in air leakage between the two groups were compared. Results The baseline clinical characteristics were comparable between the two groups (P>0.05). The incidence of pulmonary air leakage at 24 h after surgery (31.5% vs 29.6%) and the incidence of postoperative PAL (20.4% vs 14.8%) showed no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). The intraoperative air leak test to 24 hours after surgery revealed that air leakage ceased in 8 cases (32.0%) in the control group, compared to 14 cases (46.7%) in the experimental group. Moreover, during the progression from air leakage at 24 hours post-surgery to postoperative PAL, air leakage ceased in 6 cases (35.3%) in the control group and 8 cases (50.0%) in the experimental group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.001). Compared to the control group, the patients in the experimental group exhibited more pronounced postoperative diaphragmatic elevation that recovered to a slightly higher than preoperative level by 3 mon after surgery. Conclusion The combination of PNC and active lung repair can serve as an important intervention for patients at high risk of intraoperative air leakage, reducing the occurrence of postoperative PAL.http://dx.doi.org/10.3779/j.issn.1009-3419.2025.102.23lung neoplasmsvideo-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomyphrenic nerve cryotherapyprolonged air leak
spellingShingle Qingyu MENG
Yongkun WU
Yufei WANG
Zhanlin GUO
Phrenic Nerve Cryotherapy for Preventing Prolonged Air Leak During VATS Lobectomy
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer
lung neoplasms
video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy
phrenic nerve cryotherapy
prolonged air leak
title Phrenic Nerve Cryotherapy for Preventing Prolonged Air Leak During VATS Lobectomy
title_full Phrenic Nerve Cryotherapy for Preventing Prolonged Air Leak During VATS Lobectomy
title_fullStr Phrenic Nerve Cryotherapy for Preventing Prolonged Air Leak During VATS Lobectomy
title_full_unstemmed Phrenic Nerve Cryotherapy for Preventing Prolonged Air Leak During VATS Lobectomy
title_short Phrenic Nerve Cryotherapy for Preventing Prolonged Air Leak During VATS Lobectomy
title_sort phrenic nerve cryotherapy for preventing prolonged air leak during vats lobectomy
topic lung neoplasms
video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy
phrenic nerve cryotherapy
prolonged air leak
url http://dx.doi.org/10.3779/j.issn.1009-3419.2025.102.23
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AT yufeiwang phrenicnervecryotherapyforpreventingprolongedairleakduringvatslobectomy
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